Floor feeder duct



Nov. 13, 1962 v. s. MURRAY 3,063,471

FLOOR FEEDER DUCT Filed Jan. 9, 1959 BY MC.

ATTORNEY itedStats This invention relates to wire receiving floor ducts for cellular floor wire distributing systems.

Wire feeder ducts in systems of this type are usually laid upon cellular concrete floor slabs. Such a duct usually consists of a bottom channel section and a top or closure channel section which may be adiustably mounted with respect to the bottom section to vary the height of the duct as desired. The installation procedure involves fastening of the bottom section to the concrete slab and rigid attachment (as by tack welding) of the top section to the bottom section following the desired positioning of the top section thereon. This installation procedure frequently results in wire-interfering obstructions such as nail, screw, or bolt heads in the interior of the duct. Moreover, the tack welding or like operations is undesirably time-consuming.

"It is an object of this invention to provide a wire feeder duct of simple manufacture, which is subject to convenient and easy assembly, and which requires no installation members interiorly thereof.

The invention resides in a wire feeder duct comprising top and bottom channel sections, each of said sections having an outwardly projecting flange on each side and extending from end to end thereof, said top section flanges being arranged for disposition in overlying relation to said bottom section flanges.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of a feeder duct in accordance with the invention,

FlGURE 2 is a side elevation of the feeder duct, and

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 33 of FIGURE 1.

The feeder duct of the present invention is generally indicated at 1 and will usually be constructed of sheet metal. It consists of a base or bottom channel section 2 and a lid or top channel section 3.

The base 2 has a bottom wall 4, side walls 5, and a flange 6 projecting outwardly from each side Wall 5 and extending longitudinally thereof. Preferably, and conveniently, the side walls 5 are formed, as shown, by doubling a portion of the sheet metal blank from which the base is formed. The side walls 5 extend substantially perpendicularly of the base and the flanges 6 are disposed substantially in the same plane as that of the bottom wall 4. The bottom wall 4 has a plurality of access openings 7 therein.

The lid 3 has a top wall 8", side walls 9 substantially perpendicular thereto, and a flange 10 projecting outwardly from each side wall 9 and extending longitudinally thereof. The top wall 8 is provided with a plurality of knockout portions 11 for access to the duct through such wall as desired.

The distance between the inside surfaces of the side walls 9 of the lid is approximately equal to the distance between the exterior surfaces of side walls 5 of the base whereby they will engage each other when the lid is placed on the base as clearly shown in the drawings. It will be apparent that the degree of overlapping engagement between sidewalls 5 and 9 will determine the height of the duct and that the lid may be moved up or down with respect to the base to achieve the desired height.

Means for holding up the lid 3 in desired elevated position with respect to the base comprises a plurality of bolts 12 which extend through complementary openings atent l C t 13 in flange 1G with their lower ends in engagement With the upper surface of flange 6 of the base. Flange 10 is adjustably fastened to bolts 12 in any suitable manner as by clips, nuts, or the like. As shown, a clip 14 is employed for each bolt, such clip being that known under the trade name Tinnerman. It will be observed that such clip is of U-shaped form and embraces the flange it) with the bolt 12 screw-threadingly engaging the portion 15" thereof. The bolts 12 thus constitute supporting legs for the lid 3.

Means for holding down the lid 3 on the base 2 comprises a plurality of bolts 16 which are preferably alternately arranged with respect to bolts 12. Each bolt 16 extends through complementary openings 17 and in the flanges It} and 6. A Tinnerman clip 19, similar to clip 14, is provided about each opening 18 in flange 6 for screw-threaded engagement by bolt 16. A locknut 21] is provided for each bolt adjacent flange 141.

A plurality of nail openings 21 are provided in flange 6 for attachment of the base to the concrete slab 22 by means of a plurality of suitable nails 21a. it will thus be apparent that such fastening means will be eifected entirely exteriorly of the inner surfaces of the duct and thus no wire-interfering obstructions will be presented on such surfaces.

The use of the alternate hold-up and hold-down bolts 12. and 16 makes possible a means for rigidly attaching the lid to the base in any desired adjusted position without the necessity of welding or like operations.

I claim:

1. A Wire feeder duct comprising unitary top and bottom straight channel sections, each having side walls extending from end to end thereof, the side walls of said top section being arranged for overlapping engagement with the side walls of said bottom section, each said side wall having an integral flange projecting outwardly from its lower edge and extending longitudinally thereof, each said flange of said top section side walls being arranged to overlie one of said flanges of said bottom section side walls, and means adjustably supporting said top section on said bottom section comprising a plurality of bolts extending through each of said top section flanges and each having an end seatedupon the bottom section flange therebelow, and a screw-threaded connection with said top section flange and a tool-engageable head for imparting rotation to the bolt to vary the spacing between said top and bottom section flanges and thereby the size of said duct, and means for locking said top and bottom section flanges together in any adjusted position comprising a plurality of bolts extending through each pair of overlying top and bottom section flanges and each having a nut engageable with said top section flange and a screwthreaded connection with said bottom flange.

2. A wire feeder duct as defined in claim 1, each said second-mentioned bolt being disposed between two of said first-mentioned bolts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,103,984 Murray l'uly 21, 1914 2,049,184 Walsleben July 28, 1936 2,081,197 Goeller May 25, 1937 2,445,197 Wiesmann July 13, 1948 2,672,905 Hartman et al. Mar. 23, 1954 2,812,654 Hoseason Nov. 12, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 8,963 Great Britain May 27, 1891 151,849 Austria Dec. 10, 1937 576,323 Great Britain Mar. 28, 1946 

